Parent's Night Out 4 Camp

Tonight was our first Parent's Night Out event to help raise money for our 9th grade small group of girls to go to summer camp. The cost per student is $200 and we have 2 months to raise the money. The student ministry is doing a car wash where the students have the opportunity to get 100% of the money they raise toward their camp cost. Just 20 tickets sold and they are home free (let me know if you need tickets).

In addition, we wanted to do something else as a group to earn the money, hence the PARENT'S NIGHT OUT idea.

Our girls came over to my house along with my co-leader, Megan, and we watched 14 children (that includes my 3) from 6:30-10 pm tonight. The minimum cost was $3 per child, per hour, with add'l donations accepted & very much appreciated (but not necessary).

Wow - was it crazy! Honestly, after getting only 2.5 hours of sleep last night, I was exhausted and feeling a bit overwhelmed by the thought of 23 people in my house. With the majority of the kids being age 4 and under, well, those of you that have kids that age, had kids that age or worked with kids that age can imagine the chaos that could have ensued.

Things went FAR better than I expected. We divided the kids up by age and then rotated them through different stations which included, games, free play, crafts & snack. At 9 pm we changed those that brought PJ's into them and "sat" down to watch a movie.

Our girls were GREAT and cleaned up everything afterward (don't worry honey, the carpet looks PERFECT LOL).

We are planning on doing this again on Friday, April 25th. If you are interested in being included on the evite, please drop me a note. I am sending out the evite this weekend.

Thanks to those that brought your children over and let us have fun with them for a couple of hours. Here are a few pics:

What the heck??

It's 1 am and OWEN IS STILL AWAKE! Not just a little awake but "I'm-not-tired-Mommy-and-plan-to-stay-up-all-night" awake! Ughhh!!!!!! It figures one of my kiddos would do this the night before a VERY busy Friday.

Edited to add: He just went to his room and came back with some tools from his workbench to fix my broken laundry basket. Seriously!

Edited to add another note: Had to laugh when Drew woke up too around 2 pm.

DRUMROLL PLEASE.... Owen finally went to sleep around 3 am and Drew went to sleep around 3:45 am.

They better sleep their butts in because I have a ton of stuff to do today and it needs to start with cleaning my pit...I mean, my house.

Pray for us today (I'm not kidding).

Recommendations needed

Can anyone recommend a local jeweler that they trust? I need to get my wedding ring fixed.

Also, can anyone recommend a body shop? We need to get a dent removed from our old van before we sell it.

Thanks, in advance.

Farley Family

Several months ago I came across a blog of a young family here in middle TN who was about to give birth to a daughter that had Trisomy 18. Eight days after she was born she passed away. Through her blog, her mom has been so open and real about the journey that God has brought her through, heartbreakingly real.

Today she posted a video made about Copeland, her daughter with Trisomy 18, and their journey. It's an amazing video, you should watch it but make sure you bring the tissues.

HERE is the link.

Rain Out

My husband, the AVID Cardinals fan, has asked me to post that his Opening Day Party has been postponed due to RAIN. Yep, after looking forward to Cardinals Opening Day for a while now, dvring the game, sitting down in a peaceful, quiet, kid-free house to enjoy the first game of the season, the rains came and the game was canceled. Imagine the let-down...

Ladies, if your husband has ever played sports, lost a game, and was depressed afterwards then you can probably sympathize with me here. It wasn't a pretty scene in the Mueller household tonight.

Those redbirds better not get rained out tomorrow!!! I want a happy husband!

Babe Root

In keeping with the baseball talk, just a second ago Drew was telling his friend, Kara, that he got his baseball uniform this weekend (he's playing Start Smart). He told her that he was number 3 - "like Babe Root."

Hmmmm....

In honor of OPENING DAY!

Those that know us well know that my husband is a HUGE (and that's an understatement) St. Louis Cardinals fan. The g, Owen's nursery was decorated Cardinals and the boys room now is baseball. I had to sit in a car for SIX hours when I was 9 months pregnant with Owen so that all our kids could see their first Cardinal's game in the old Busch Stadium. The guy loves Cardinal's baseball!

Today is opening day and the game is set on our DVR to tape (yes, he has the MLB package too LOL) and he has plans to watch it with Drew later.

So, to honor a team I've grown to love as well, here is yet another blog change.

GO CARDS!

A few Easter pics

Okay, I have felt like being a bit blog lazy as of late. I read blogs but just haven't felt much like posting on my own.

This past weekend we went to MO to visit Eric's family. We haven't been out there way since this past summer, I think. Way too long. The new van made the 6 hour drive VERY nice (the DVD players for the kids didn't hurt either LOL).

It was fun to hang out with family. The kids had an absolute BLAST with their cousins. I'll go through the pics and add a few later but in the meantime, here are the kiddos before church on Sunday. Poor Morgan had a bad cold and you can tell by looking at the photos. Also, it was SNOWING on Easter so it was a bit cold.

"I want to grow"

At school Drew has learned a song that he loves to sing. The first verse goes like this:

"Read your Bible
Pray every day
Pray every day
Pray every day

Read your Bible
Pray every day
and you'll
Grow
Grow
Grow"

I don't remember the words for the second verse but I know it says that when you don't read your Bible every day and pray that you'll shrink.

As you can probably guess, there are motions to this song.

We just got back from a weekend with family in the St. Louis area that was a blast but that brought lack of sleep for the kids. They were already 2 hours past their bedtime tonight so I really just wanted to get them in bed the fastest that I could.

Typically we read from a children's devotional book that shares a scripture, short message, and prayer. The kids really seem to enjoy this time and will ask for it if they think we are forgetting.

Tonight I truly didn't want to do it. Like I said, I just wanted them in bed as quickly as they could get there.

Then Drew shouts out "But I want to grow!"

Wow! My 4-year old just delivered a "spiritual spanking" to his mom. Ouch.

Needless to say, we did our devotions tonight.

What a week for adoptions!

Last week I had two good friends deliver newborn baby girls and this week I have two good friends overseas, adopting their baby girls!

A couple from my Oklahoma days are in Taiwan right now with their young son (also adopted from Taiwan) to pick up their new little girl, Alexis! They've been emailing pics and messages along the way and it is just so exciting!

Today a friend from Tennessee is on her way to meet her little girl, Savannah-Hope from Malawi! You can follow her adventure here: JOHNSON BLOG.

Please pray for these families as they celebrate the arrival of their new little girls!

Praise GOD!

Girl's Weekend Away

Last weekend I had the awesome chance to get away from the daily grind and hang out with 9 other girls from our small group. When talking about what we wanted to do and where we wanted to go, we decided that we wanted to find a cabin in the middle of nowhere where there was nothing to do and just hang out. No shopping, no nothing, just hanging out doing whatever. Ashley found us a GREAT cabin and away we went.

The evening that we arrived the weather started to change and a winter storm blew in. It snowed ALL Saturday - it was great! In a cabin, in the middle of nowhere, snow falling, hanging out with friends, no kids crying or wanting something - PERFECT.

Most of the girls brought sewing to do. Pillow case dresses, purses, and quillows were made (Becca was the champ - she made 2 quillows, 2 dresses, a purse, a bag, etc). Tammy & Jennifer decided to scrapbook and the rest of us, well, we just hung out. I brought a quilt to work on (hand quilting - OUCH!) and got a fair amount done. I think the caretaker thought we were nuts though - he gave us a funny look when he came in when he saw 5 sewing machines going. Oh well, we were having fun.

I know I didn't want to leave and I'm sure the other ladies didn't either. It was SO GREAT to get away!

Can't wait for the next, semi-annual, girls weekend out!

The Quest

I promise to upload some pics from the girl's weekend out that we had this past weekend with ladies in our small group but, in the meantime, I just couldn't help sharing our latest experience.

We have been looking for a new van for several weeks. After much research, we decided that a Nissan Quest was the van that we wanted and set about trying to find the best deal possible. We got our financing in order and were ready to go.

I got back from Girl's Weekend and Eric showed me an ad from a Nissan dealership about 40 miles away. It was one heck of a deal on a 2008 Quest. Up until this point we weren't even considering a new van as they were well above our price range but this deal was too good (no need to give financial specifics - you understand, I'm sure).

On Monday morning I called this dealership and inquired about the vans in the offer. I was told that one of the two vans was available. Eric arranged to go visit the dealership during his lunch hour (for him it was a 20 mile trip one way). Upon arriving he was told that the van had just sold. Later he got a call that the financing had fallen through on that van. I arranged for a babysitter and we went up to the dealership.

You would think this would have been an easy transaction. We knew we wanted the van, we had our financing lined up, checks in hand, etc. It should have taken an hour, tops.

NOPE.

Three and a half hours later, we emerged from what Eric termed as "The Worst Consumer Experience Ever" with a new van and a huge mountain of frustration with a dealership who did not train it's employees in the finer points of proper customer service (it's a long story, believe me).

My normally even-tempered husband was so ticked off that he sat down and wrote a LONG, involved email to the GM of this dealership, Financial Manager of this dealership, and several executives at Nissan USA.

If you know Eric then you know that this is very unusual for him. He tends to look past poor customer service and move on. Rarely in our married life have I seen him upset enough to say something about it. This was a huge deal and honestly, after thinking back over the night, I don't know why we didn't just take our money and walk out.

So - the "Quest" to find our Quest was a bit frustrating but I am LOVING the new van and am so thankful for a new vehicle with more room.

Super Target!

First I find out that there is such a thing as Caffeine-Free REGULAR Dr. Pepper in Middle Tennessee and now this - SUPER TARGET - 4 miles from my house!!!

YAY!

It opened tonight!!!

Can't say that taking 4 children (I had a friend's son) to Target by myself was a smart move, especially since one of my children in particular has been a bit of a challenge today, but I did and LOVED IT!

Chick-Fil, Super Target, Caffeine-Free Dr. Pepper - it doesn't get much better than that.


Oh wait - it does - RED ROBIN coming too!!!

Nielsen TV Ratings

About a month or two ago we received a postcard in the mail from Nielsen TV Ratings saying that we had been chosen to be apart of their tv surveys for a week. As a former Broadcasting student (focusing on tv production), I was excited. I had learned about the Nielsen rating while in school and often wondered how they came up with the sampling homes.

They called, explained what they wanted us to do, sent us the information and away we went. In the mail a week later was 4 tv watching diaries, instructions and $30 in cash (why would a big company sent CASH??).

So, we were supposed to keep track of everything that was watched during the week. "Watch" was defined as when the tv was on and you were either watching or listening to the program. The kids playing while Dora is on is considering "watching", me doing dishes while the tv is on is considered "watching." We had to keep track for each individual person and also for any guests. It was a bit tedious. Here is what the diary looks like (there is one for each tv):



Here's what I learned through the week:

1. It's harder than you think to write down everything you watch.
2. Tivo & DVR adds another challenge.
3. I watch entirely TOO much tv.
4. Worse, my kids watch entirely too much tv.

I'm glad the survey is over but I'm also glad that we had a chance to participate.

We have a tie!

Thin Mints & Samoas tied for the best Girl Scout cookies!

Both are good. Mmmmmmm.....

My neighbor sells girl scout cookies, I think I need to give her a call tomorrow. :)

Thank you Suzanne!

This may seem silly but one thing that I've missed since moving to Middle Tennessee is CAFFEINE-FREE Dr. Pepper - not diet either! I have only ever seen it in Oklahoma and believe me, I've looked every place I've gone. Caffeine irritates a medical condition I have so I try to stay away from it but I have a weakness where Dr. Pepper is concerned.

Guess what my friend, Suzanne, found today at Publix?????

Isn't that a beautiful sight??

Another Snow Day - Pics!

Today has been a weird day. It will snow like a blizzard is coming and then five minutes later the sun is shining and any of the snow that has fallen is now melted.

My friend Shea came over with her son, Dillon, and the kids got to play. On one of the downfalls we took the kids outside. It was fun. Here are some pictures (I did put a hat on Owen, the pics of him were taken just prior to that):

Please pray for this situation (click title for link)

This was shared at something at church a while back. I was reminded to keep praying for this situation when I saw this article today on Foxnews.com


Aid Group: Kidnapped U.S. Aid Worker Feared Dead

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — An American aid worker and her Afghan driver kidnapped in southern Afghanistan a month ago are feared dead, a statement from their aid group said. Afghan and U.S. officials said Wednesday they could not confirm the report.

Cyd Mizell, 50, and driver Abdul Hadi were kidnapped in a residential neighborhood of Kandahar on Jan. 26. Mizell worked on aid projects for the Asian Rural Life Development Foundation, or ARLDF.

"Although we have no confirmation of their deaths, we have received information over the past few days indicating that our two aid workers have been killed," said a statement posted on ARLDF's Web site Tuesday.

Kandahar's Gov. Assadullah Khalid said he did not have any information about the case, and a U.S. Embassy official in Kabul said he could not confirm the report.

No group has claimed responsibility for the abductions.

Although the kidnappings happened in an area known for insurgent activity, the Taliban denied that its fighters had taken the two. Kidnappings for ransom by criminal gangs in Afghanistan have been on the rise the last year.

An official with ALRDF in Kandahar said the group had received reports in recent days from two Afghan sources that Mizell and Hadi are dead. He said officials were working with the Red Cross to try to recover the bodies. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak to the media.

Mizell, of Eureka, California, was wearing a burqa -- the traditional all-encompassing dress worn by many Afghan women -- when she was taken.

Mizell taught English at Kandahar University and gave embroidery lessons at a girls' school. She spoke the local language of Pashtu well, colleagues said. She had worked for the foundation in Kandahar for the last three years.

Several foreigners -- including 23 South Koreans, two German construction workers and two Italian journalists -- have been kidnapped in Afghanistan in the last year, but kidnappings of Americans have been rare.

An American civilian was briefly abducted in Kabul in April 2005 but escaped by throwing himself from a moving car. Two of the 23 South Koreans kidnapped in July were killed, as was one of the Germans. The other foreign abductees were freed.

Another "Snow" Day

Yep, one snowflake fell in Middle Tennessee and all the schools are closed - again. Okay, I'll concede that more than one snowflake fell but you can still see the grass and most of our windshield so it wasn't that much snow. The roads are FINE and yet school is out.

Crazy.

Americal Idol

Any other Idol fans out there??

What did you think of the guys tonight.

Here are my thoughts (I know, you were waiting for those, right? ;) )

1. David Archuleta - WHAT? That kid can sing - wow.

2. David Cook - he's got a nice voice but I can't handle the facial expressions he makes. He reminds me of Phil Stacey from last year but with hair.

3. Robbie Carrico - this is Morgan's favorite, she's funny about it too. He's got a nice voice I think.

Well, why not?

Everyone else has gotten it, why not me.

Yep, I'm talking about the FLU!!!!!!

Hopefully the tamiflu will take care of this quick, I've got three kiddos to take care of!!!

Snow Day

Sometime last week (or the week before, I can't remember) it "snowed" here in Middle Tennessee and the kids were out of school (don't get me started on that one, I'm still bitter over having to go to school in 7th grade after it snowed 2 feet overnight a la a superintendent from ALASKA! We only got a DUSTING of snow here and they were out!). Morgan's friend, Bailey, came over and hung out with us. Here are some pics:



They both have webkinz and I hooked up both computers so they could play each other. Their game of choice - Webkinz Supermodels. Oops - I think this was taken at a sleepover - can't remember that either.

My little lefty

Owen and I were coloring a picture of one of his favorite characters the other day - Pooh Bear, of course. Here' s my little lefty. He doesn't use his right hand except to pass things over to his left.




And, Owen has a fondness for his binkie (yes, I know, we need to get rid of it, no lectures). He was in heaven when he was given a "Candy Binkie" (Ring Pop)for Valentine's Day from Morgan's friend Bailey! The kid did not take that thing out of his mouth until it was gone.

He can write his name!

At the beginning of this school year Drew could barely color in the lines, make anything purposeful with crayons other than scribbles and certainly couldn't draw his name. He's come leaps and bounds since then and can now write his name!

See:

"FOUR" Tag

My cousin, Jamiee, tagged me with this so I thought I'd do it. (I'd post her link but it's private - she has a GREAT blog!)


Four jobs I have had in my life:
1. Swenson's Ice Cream, fast food (I don't think this store is around anymore but if you have ever watched the Goonies, it's the ice cream that Chunk is eating in the freezer w/the dead guy).
2. Chick-Fil-A
3. Resident Director, Oklahoma Wesleyan Unversity
4. Print Buyer/Purchaser, The Voice of the Martyrs


Four movies I could watch over and over:
1. The Goonies (obviously)
2. The Devil Wears Prada
3. Girls' Just Wanna Have Fun
4. National Treasure

Four places I have lived:
1. Germany
2. Houston, TX
3. Colorado Springs, CO
4. San Antonio, TX


Four shows that I watch:
1. American Idol
2. Grey's Anatomy
3. Private Practice
4. General Hospital (okay, I hate to even admit that - smut, I know)

Four places I have been:
1. Grand Cayman (LOVED it!)
2. Germany (I was really young, I don't remember it too well)
3. Guatemala (LOVED it!)
4. New York City

Four people who email me regularly:
1. Dina
2. Ashley
3. Nance
4. Suzanne

Four of my favorite foods:
1. Beef Chimichanga
2. Weight Watchers Fudge Bar
3. Chick-Fil-A Chicken Sandwich
4. hard candy of many diff't kinds

Four places I would rather be right now:
1. Asleep, in dream-land
2. Disney World w/my family
3. Visiting family - wherever they are
4. Alaskan cruise

Four things I'm looking forward to in the next 12 months:
1. Disney World w/family
2. Visiting with friends & family around the US
3. Losing weight!
4. Getting caught up on scrapbooking (yeah right)

Four goals for the New Year:
1. Read the Bible every day
2. Lose weight
3. Lose weight
4. Have I mentioned that I want to lose weight?

Four gifts I got for Christmas:
1. Bible
2. Scrapbooking stuff
3. Athletic shoes
4. Purse

Four places I want to visit:
1. Alaska
2. Australia
3. New Zealand
4. Grand Cayman

Four things I wish I could be better at:
1. Time management
2. Organization
3. Photography
4. Balancing everything I am doing in life!


Four Things You Don't Know About Me:
1. I have a fondness for reality tv (I won't list the shows I like to watch)
2. I have a favorite pillow and hate sleeping w/o it - I won't even let Eric sleep on it.
3. I think Judge Judy is awesome.
4. I bite my finger nails - yuck!

Four Things I Can Cook Without a Recipe:
1. Pizza (from scratch)
2. Saltado (Peruvian dish my friend Dina taught me to make)
3. Macaronni & Cheese (from scratch)
4. Chicken Enchiladas

Four Musicians/Groups I Really Like:
1. Chris Tomlin
2. Kari Jobe
3. Phillips, Craig & Dean
4. Casting Crowns

The FOUR people I tag are Becca, Ashley G., Kelly W., and Ashley Z.

Girl Scout Cookies - which ones?

Check out the poll to the right and vote for your favorite Girl Scout cookie!

I have to say, the timing of the cookies was not great this year! My neighbor brought over our boxes the day the Sacred Gathering fast started!!!!! I had to look at those cookies for 3 days before being able to eat them - NOT FUN.

Click the title above for a link to the Girls Scout Cookie page.

Vote & then reply here with any comments.

Momma Bear

As a mom I can be a bit like a momma bear protecting her cubs when it comes to my children, I don't like people messing with my kids. I'm particularly sensitive to Morgan being in Kindergarten and people treating her unkind because she is such a sweet spirited girl and very sensitive. While I am a biased mom, I know that Morgan isn't a person who is mean to anyone intentionally and she doesn't understand when others are unkind to her.

Well, there is one girl in Morgan's class who just isn't nice, I could see that from the first time I saw her. I've never seen her be mean to Morgan specifically, but I could just tell from how she acted that she was a bit of a spoiled kid (yes, I typed the "other" word but deleted it).

Tonight Morgan was talking about how this little girl was mean to her all the time and mentioned some of the things she says and it just ticked me off. My first response wasn't very kind and thankfully Morgan didn't hear that. I help in Morgan's class on Thursdays and honestly, I want to dish it back to this girl. Immature, I know as I'm 33, she's 6. I can't help feeling that way though, she's hurting my baby.

I absolutely HATED elementary school. I was teased mercilessly and it really affected how I viewed myself for a long time afterwards, I'd argue that it still does at times. My self-esteem was shot to pieces and I thought of myself as less than I was, putting myself down all the time. This is such a crucial age for the continued development of self-esteem and I don't want Morgan to struggle in that area like I have. That's why this bothers me so much.

So, how do we equip her to handle this?

Tonight we talked about how God made EVERYONE special, even this little girl and that maybe this person didn't know that. We talked about how no matter what someone may say about you, you do not respond in kind, you turn the other cheek. We told Morgan that she is a special little girl, created by God and dearly loved by her family and friends. Finally, we prayed for this little girl, that she would come to learn that every person is special to God and created for His purpose and that she shouldn't treat people as anything less. We also prayed that God would help Morgan know how to respond to those that aren't kind to her.

In the meantime, I'll try to keep the mama bear instinct in check LOL!

Yes, I know, it's different again.

I told you, if I could change my furniture around all the time I would. I can't so I'll settle for my blog look.

I found this on Pyzam and just couldn't help myself. If you've heard my cell phone ring you'd know that I like this movie as the Cyndi Lauper song from this movie is my ringtone.

Go Goonies!

Everything Matters - Collision 2008

This past weekend was the high school weekend retreat called Collision. I am not sure the exact number that went but it was around 80-100 kids, I think. As a leader I was excited to be there with almost my entire small group (one had to cancel last minute) and very excited to see what God did in their lives through the weekend.

I have to thank my awesome Sunday school class because without their support we could not have gotten all these girls to Collision. THANK YOU GUYS so much for believing in these girls and investing in their lives. You guys are amazing.

Oops - didn't mean for that to publish yet! Here's more.

It's funny, I consider myself a night owl but I have nothing on these girls! WOW. I don't think we went to bed until 2:00 am on Friday night. It was fun though. I had 10 girls in my small group, only 4 of whom I knew, so it was great to get to know some new people. I was excited at how quickly we all seemed to gel as a group.

As I mentioned in a previous post, our church had just finished the Sacred Gathering 2.5 day fast earlier in that week. One of my girls from Wed. night participated and I was excited to have 2 other girls in my Collision group that had also participated. Honestly, I think that says a lot about their maturity in Christ - they are 14/15 year old girls who fasted and sought after the face of Christ - that's awesome. They were still on a high from what God had taught them earlier in the week and were excited to see what He was going to do through Collision.

There is so much that I could share about what God did in their lives, for one God really confirmed a calling on her life, another was motivated to share Christ more in her school, another mentioned how she had never felt this close to Jesus. It was exciting.

One decision was made by a girl that wasn't in my group but that I had met when we were signing people in for the trip. I was so excited to hear that she had accepted Jesus into her heart. It was exciting to watch her worshipping God the next morning after she became a Christian - I was reminded a lot of when I asked Jesus into my heart and how awesome that felt.

So - the weekend was an awesome success. God moved in amazing ways and my prayer now is that these teens are never the same because of it.

I have to give a big THANK YOU to our camp nurse, and new friend, Kelly. I really enjoyed talking to her and getting to know her better. I also appreciated the medicine she brought that helped me get through the weekend. We have had the flu and stomach bug in our house in the past couple of weeks and I thought I was in the clear. WRONG - guess who got sick on Friday night??? Yep - me! Fever, body aches, stomach killing me, nausea, the whole nine yards. Thankfully God held off the worst until Sunday as I walked in my front door.

I have more I could share but I've been trying to post this for 2 days and I'm just now getting it done so I'll leave it here.

Thanks again for your prayers & support.

Prayer request

I can't go into details on a public blog but I really would like those that believe in the power of prayer to say a few prayers today. You don't have to know the details, God already does, just please pray. Pray that mountains are moved, lives are changed, and God is glorified.

(Don't worry, it's nothing life threatening or crazy in my personal family).

Facebook - Old friends found

First myspace and now facebook.

I've been avoiding getting into these two things because I already have this blog and am busy enough with my three kiddos, however, I decided to check them out.

Well, I went onto facebook and was SO excited to be able to reconnect with some very special people from my college days. One person in particular was a very special friend and I was so sad to lose touch with her - and she was there - on facebook!!!

WOOHOO!

Wow - God is so good (and this is long)

Today was the final night of corporate praise, worship & prayer with all those who joined in on the Sacred Gathering and wow, it was amazing.

This 2.5 day fast has been an adventure with God, I have to tell you. I feel like I've gone through every emotion out there. I have been excited by what God was teaching me, frustrated with what God was teaching me, etc. I had such high expectations for this experience and God really delivered. I was wondering yesterday. For most of the day I felt like I was in a wrestling match with God, very frustrating, but the end results were good.

That brings us to today, and tonight specifically.

During my time in the Word, I have been using the 1 year chronological bible and have been reading through Moses bringing the Israelites out of Egypt. I've read this many times before but this time God really used it to minister to me. A verse that stuck out to me was this:

"And when they heard that the Lord was concerned about them and had seen their misery, they bowed down and worship." - Exodus 4:31.

Now this was talking about when Moses & Aaron went to the elders of the Israelites with what God had told them but the wording struck me. WHEN THEY HEARD THAT THE LORD WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THEM the result was to BOW DOWN AND WORSHIP.

Isn't that what most people want really? I know I do - we all want to know that there is someone out there who is concerned for us, that cares about us, that is listening to us, etc. It makes a HUGE difference.

It's what we are doing in the small groups that are starting around the church for the 3:16 project? We are showing our care & concern for those around us and reaching out to them in these groups. Perhaps if they know that we are concerned about them then they will believe and know that God is even more concerned for them.

I have to make a confession, I didn't want to do a 3:16 group - not even a little bit. I agreed to host one because I knew that God wanted me to but I wasn't really "there" yet. I did it begrudgingly because I knew I should but I just didn't want to. In my thinking I already had a sunday school/small group that I loved, I didn't want another one. I was already involved at the church, I didn't need to get more involved. I didn't want to over-extend myself at all. Surely God couldn't be calling me to facilitate a group - NO WAY.

Um - YES WAY. God really convicted me to this about this a week or so ago and He solidified for me that this was what we were supposed to do over the past 3 days. I can honestly say that I am excited about it and ready to see what He does through it. I want God to use me & Eric to show care & concern for others and thereby lead them to bow down and worship Jesus.

The other major thing that God did for me, tonight specifically, is confirm to me where He wanted me to work. This may seem silly since I'm already working in certain areas in the church but it's what happened. Ever since becoming a mom I've always thought that I was supposed to be working with either young kids or moms. I quickly realized that I was not gifted to be working with young children as honestly I just needed a break from that age group, so, I assumed I should be working with moms. That said, I could just never get a real passion to do it and God certainly didn't open many doors in that area. I just wasn't motivated.

Fast forward (or rewind now, I guess) to nearly a year ago. I was feeling very convicted about needing to volunteer in the church and decided to give the high school ministry a shot. What David McCaman shared in "big" church really resonated with me and I wanted to try it out. Truthfully, I was overwhelmed with the idea before even starting as I kind of think of myself as "uncool" and not very in-touch with that age group. Aside from occasionally watching an MTV reality show (shame, shame, I know), I don't have much in common with kids that age. Talk to me about Dora and Diego and I can identify with you, anything else, well, you get the picture.

Volunteered in the high school ministry because I wanted to be challenged and step out side my comfort zone - sometimes that's where God can really use you the most because it's not something you can do on your own. I started to co-lead a group with a friend from Sunday School, Megan, and away we went.

It has been a wild ride, at least for me. I am constantly challenged and so many times have questioned God on what He was thinking when He put me in that ministry. More times than not I have felt completely inadequate to do the job. Don't get me wrong - I love it - and I love my girls. They are amazing and I am so excited to see what God is doing in their lives, yet I still questioned if this was the place for me.

Reading the story of Moses also showed me this. Moses asked God "Why me?" and didn't feel adequate to do the job that God had called Him to as well and look what God did through Him. It isn't about being adequate on our own but about trusting and obeying God to be faithful and providing you with what you need to serve Him where He calls you. I was reading the long list of instructions that God gave Moses about building the tabernacle and I was overwhelmed just reading it when the following verse caught my eye:

"I have given skill too all the craftsmen to make everything I have commanded you." Exodus 31:6b.

That stuck out to me because it says that while God had very specific and elaborate instructions for the tabernacle, He also provided people with the skills necessary to complete the task.

He'll do that for us to.

I had a moment of clarity tonight when I realized I am exactly where God wants me to be in the high school ministry. I am NOT called to work with moms (at this time), I am not called to work with preschoolers (at this time) but I am called to work with high schoolers, specifically the FANTASTIC group of girls that I have, and I am EXCITED about it. It was such a surprise to have that confirmed to me in such clarity tonight.

Dear Jesus. Wow, thank you for being such an amazing God. That you for filling my hunger for food with an even bigger hunger for You. Thank you for speaking to me and confirming to me where you want me to be. Thank you for giving me a passion to share You and to make you FAMOUS. Thank you for equipping to me serve You in the high school ministry. Please, please bless my girls and help them to see You in me. Help them to come to know You, love You and serve you with passion and purpose. You are an amazing God and I am in awe that You know me, love me unconditionally, and died for me on the cross. I love you.

Sacred Gathering

Our church called a Sacred Gathering to start off this week. It is a time of fasting (2.5 days) along with corporate praise, worship and prayer each night. It has been fantastic. There is so much that I could share with you about what God has taught me but I'll leave you with some thoughts on fasting.

Truthfully, in the 16 years that I've been a Christian this is the first time that I've truly fasted. I've fasted a meal here and there but never really a whole day let alone 2.5! I was really, really nervous about it and wondered if I could really do it. It hasn't been easy, I like the party in my mouth that food provides (you're shocked, I know), but I've survived.

Yesterday was a really hard day for many reasons and I caught myself thinking of fasting as some form of punishment half way through it. I wanted to eat so badly but thought that if I did that I would be punished for breaking the fast or that others would look down upon me if they knew that I broke the fast so I didn't. God really convicted me of that thinking later though.

Fasting isn't a punishment, it's a way to get closer to God. It's CHOOSING to deny ourselves something we need to spend time with Someone we need more.

When I started looking at it that way yesterday, it made things a bit better.

So much more to say but I need to go. Like my friend Ashley said, just because I'm fasting doesn't mean I should forget to feed the kids. Oops!

It's almost 3 am

And I am STILL awake!!!

Just hung up laundry, looked at the clock, and realized I am going to be hating life in about 3 hours when I have to get up!

Note to self - GO TO BED AT A DECENT HOUR!

MySpace for dummies?

Is there a book like this out there?

I'm not joking...

All of our small group girls are on myspace so me & Megan (or is it Megan & I? I really did pass English in high school - I think) had one of our girls create us a myspace for our small group. I've spent some time on nit this week and, well, I'm used to BLOGGER. This whole myspace thing is foreign to me. I can't make it do what I want it to!!!!

So, is there a book out there, a tutorial out there, somewhere for people like me who are myspace challenged????

Fuel - I Believe I Can Fly

Tonight was the high school outreach event at church - Thrift Store Prom. The kids were supposed to go shopping at Goodwill or whereever and come dressed in their nicest thrift store finds. It was fun to see all the different outfits - quite the flashback to the 80's & early 90's!

One thing in particular stood out to me tonight that I just can't help but share. One of the High School small group leaders is also a high school teacher. She has such a heart to see her students come to know Christ. For the entire year she has offered extra credit for any student of hers that comes to church on Wed. All they have to do is come find her so she knows they are there.

The same applied for tonight.

There was student upon student that was there specifically because she chose to invite them adding extra credit as incentive. Her words, "Whatever it takes to get them here."

WOW. She was SO excited to see so many of her students there and I was so inspired to see someone doing all that she could to share Jesus with those she had influence with - even in a PUBLIC SCHOOL!

I pray that my kids have teachers like her when in school.

"Super" Tuesday

I'm sure everyone knows what that is - right? I mean, you can't turn on the tv, radio, open a newspaper, etc. without hearing about it.

I'm not very politically savy but I do feel very strongly about our right to vote. There are people all over the world who would LOVE the opportunity to vote and make decisions about their government but they can't. Here in the United States, we do have that right and yet so many choose to not exercise it.

There is still time - go out and vote!

Our small group ROCKS!

Eric and I are so blessed to be apart of a wonderful small group at church. The group opperates as a family, taking care of each other and lifting each other up. It's the very definition of how a small group should be. We celebrate with each other, mourn together, pray for each other, have fun together, etc. It's awesome.

While our group really does so much for each other, I can think of two times, specifically, where I have just been so thankful for each person and excited to see how God uses our group. The first time that sticks out to me is when a neighbor of mine who does not attend our church had a baby and was having a tough time of it. I asked our small group if they would be willing to help provide meals for this family for a week, a family they did not know personally, and they said yes without hesitation. WOW!

The second time happened today.

Me and another member of this small group, Megan, are co-leaders of a 9th grade girls group on Wednesday night. We have 7 young ladies in our group who are wonderful. There is a weekend retreat coming up for them and both Megan and I really wanted them to go - ALL of them to go. Money was an issue so we asked our small group if they would be willing to sponser one of the girls to attend the retreat.

Our small group gave enough money to make it possible for our entire small group to attend Collision this year!

I am awed and humbled by their friendship and devotion to serve Christ anyway they can.

THANK YOU GUYS so much for investing in the lives of our girls!! We cannot thank you enough.

Flu Bowl

Before finding out that Owen had the flu we had planned on having some friends over for a Super Bowl Party. We had the house clean, the food prepared (almost) and were ready to go. I was actually looking forward to having a bunch of people over to hang out and have fun so I was a bit disappointed when I had to cancel.

It seems that a friend of ours, Shea, also found out today that she had the flu so we decided that since both families were already exposed, to get together anyways. YAY! It was nice to have friends over.

Now, I am not a huge football fan. Honestly, apart from the 2 years that I played fantasy footbal (comic relief for all the guys in the league, I'm sure), I hadn't really paid much attention to the sport. I have no real allegiance to any team but if I had to choose between the two, then my choice was the Giants. My dad grew up in Brooklyn and was a Giants fan. I remember when they won the Super Bowl against the Broncos because we had just moved to Colorado. I wore my Phil Simms jersey to school the following day and didn't make too great of an impression - those Bronco fans are FANATICAL!

I have to say, I was a bit happy to see the end of the game w/the Giants on top tonight.

It's the flu

Each of the kids got their flu shots but apparently it doesn't cover the strain that is going around now.

Owen has been feeling bad since Friday but I was putting it off to sinus junk. He woke up with a fever so Eric took him to the dr. and he has the FLU! He was too far into it to get tamiflu.

Drew was in Sunday School when they came and got me and told me he was complaining of a headache and sore throat. I threw him into the car with Eric and he tested negative for the flu. The dr. said that since his symptoms just came on that it was probably too soon to test so she gave him tamiflu just in case.

Pray that the rest of us don't get it. My throat is a little sore but maybe that's just a sympathy pain!

No double dipping!

I couldn't resist posting this article after reading it (click title for link - FOX News). I was tempted to post the article about the man that died after DRINKING TOO MUCH WATER but figured that might be in bad taste.

On Sunday, millions of Americans will be plopped in front of big-screen TVs watching the Super Bowl — and, yes — stuffing their faces with chips, dip and anything else they can get their hands on. So, this brings up the question:

Is double dipping really that bad?

A new study by Clemson University set out to answer that exact question. According to The New York Times, the study was inspired by an episode of "Seinfeld" in which the character George Costanza is confronted at a funeral reception after dipping the same chip twice. Clemson University food microbiologist Paul Dawson said he proposed the study to get undergraduate students involved in scientific research. A team of nine students had volunteers bite a wheat cracker and dip the cracker for three seconds into a tablespoon of dip, it was reported. They repeated the process with new crackers, for a total of either three or six double dips per dip sample. The team then analyzed the remaining dip and counted the number of aerobic bacteria in it. The students found that on average, three to six double dips transferred about 10,000 bacteria from the eater’s mouth to the remaining dip, the Times reported.
/**/

"The way I would put it is, before you have some dip at a party, look around and ask yourself, 'would I be willing to kiss everyone here?' Because you don’t know who might be double-dipping, and those who do are sharing their saliva with you,"Dawson told the Times. The study is set to be published later this year in the Journal of Food Safety.

A little bit frustrated.

Okay, I have been busting my tail working out and trying to eat better for the last month and I haven't been seeing the kind of results that I had hoped for. It's frustrating. I've made a conscious effort to eat better, only splurging occasionally and not in excess, I try to drink more water (this is a hard one for me), and I have been working out at least 5 days per week. When I say working out, I'm not talking about the kind of working out where you come out smelling as good as you did when you started, I'm talking about the kind of working out where you need a shower with lots of soap to be presentable to the world.

How much have I lost?????


Drum roll please.....


...FIVE STINKIN' POUNDS!!!!!!!


Grrrrrrr!!!!!

Do I feel better physically? Yes, I do. I can definitely tell a big difference in my cardio capabilities and I like that. I just wish I'd start seeing results. It would make being good with food so much easier if I saw that things were working.

I did talk to one of the trainers at the Y about my frustrations this week. She suggested adding in weights so I went to Group Power Lift on Monday, Abs & Arms on Tues, and will be doing Group Power Lift again on Friday. That changes a few things because I can only keep the kids in childcare for 2 hours (understandable) so I can't get a shower at the Y before leaving, I have to do it at home. I hate taking that time out when I could be doing something fun with the kids.

I also have a fitness evaluation with this trainer but I couldn't get in until mid-February. I guess that's okay even though I was hoping to get it done asap so I would know how to better achieve my goals.

Last frustration, I promise. I really, really wanted to run/walk the 1/2 marathon this year. I've tried running a few times and each and every time I get horrible shin splints. It kills to run. It was suggested that I get new shoes at Fleet Feet but I just can't go and spend $100 on shoes without being sure that they would do the trick. Watch me spend the money and STILL get shin splints!

Maybe I'll just have to walk the whole thing - anyone want to walk it with me???

Excuse the pity party post - I'm just frustrated with this after putting so much consistent work into it.

Oh Jessica!!!!

If you can read blogs then you can START one and teach all of us bargain-challenged people how to get the crazy deals that you do on a regular basis!!! :)

He cares about the little things too.

I just had a neat reminder that God is in control of the big and small things.

I was getting out of my car, at home, and was about to hit the lock button when I just stopped and decided to make sure I had my keys. Doesn't seem like a big thing to you, right?

Well, I never do that. I rarely check to make sure I have my keys because I always do the same exact thing with them, put them in my purse, pick up my purse and get out of the car. I had my purse in hand so of course I had my keys - right?

Wrong.

They were on the driver's side floor, they must have fallen out.

So, there's my little reminder that God cares about the little things too. He prompted me to stop and make sure I had my keys, my ONLY set of keys, keeping me from locking myself out of the car.

Thank you Jesus!

Spiritual Security

Our pastor is doing a series at church called Q & A (Questions & Answers). Several weeks back church members were encouraged to send in questions that they may have and they'd work on answering several via blogs and services. Good idea.

This week's message was on eternal security but titled Spiritual Security. I was a bit nervous thinking about it as it can be a real source of contention between denominations. I knew it wasn't going to one of those kind of sermons but still, I wondered.

Can I just tell you - you HAVE to listen to this message - it is awesome. God really spoke through our Pastor today. It wasn't the message I expected, it was better.

I won't spoil it for you - take a listen.

http://www.fbcsmyrna.org/default.aspx?shellfunction=mediaarchives - click on Sunday Messages. It's about 44 minutes in length - worth listening to!

Thank you, Pat, for not being afraid to tackle the hard issues and doing it right!

Possibly a pet in the future?

Some friends of ours came through town on their way to California (moving via Marines) and stayed with us on Friday & Saturday night. They brought with them their two pets - a dog named Chief and a cat named Bob. We were a little concerned because we don't have pets currently and Morgan & Owen tend to react pretty negatively to pets, especially dogs. Drew LOVES animals so we weren't concerned about him.



Owen's first real experience with a dog happened when we moved to TN and he came eye to eye with a black lab that was bigger than him. It kind of freaked him out and he hasn't had a love relationship with pets ever since. He didn't have one this time. I think he spent every waking moment extremely aware of where Chief was and much of that time on my lap, shaking.



Morgan used to respond this way to pets despite being in a home daycare with one from the time she was 6 weeks old. This time she did SO well and suprised all of us (proof below LOL).



Drew, well, I think he fell in love with Chief and couldn't get enough of him or Bob. He spent most of his time with the animals. It was fun to watch.



Even Eric came away saying that he would consider getting a pet in the future because the kids (minus Owen) seemed to love it so much - that's a BIG deal.



Here are a few pics:

What's your personality type?

I saw this on my cousin's blog and thought it would be fun. Not suprised by what it says as I've almost always come out as an ENFP ever since college. I know I'm a strong NF (intuitive, feeler), but I'm more in the middle on the Introvert/Extrovert and Judging/Perceiving (at least that's what I remember them standing for).

Edited to add - I just reread the summary below and laughed out loud when it said "unimpressed by authority and rules." I'm sure my previous employer could testify that this was probably true at times. Yikes. Maybe it's the military brat in me rebelling - LOL!

You Are An ENFP

The Inspirer You love being around people, and you are deeply committed to your friends.You are also unconventional, irreverent, and unimpressed by authority and rules.Incredibly perceptive, you can usually sense if someone has hidden motives.You use lots of colorful language and expressions. You're quite the storyteller! In love, you are quite the charmer. And you are definitely willing to risk your heart.You often don't follow through with your flirting or professed feelings. And you do break a lot of hearts. At work, you are driven but not a workaholic. You just always seem to enjoy what you do.You would make an excellent entrepreneur, politician, or journalist. How you see yourself: compassionate, unselfish, and understanding When other people don't get you, they see you as: gushy, emotional, and unfocused

What's" Your Personality Type?

When the enemy strikes

I've been pondering this subject a lot the past couple of weeks because of a variety of situations I've been around. Today, in particular, has gotten to me. I was thinking on things when I came across one of our pastor's blogs and he mentioned a book that he had read called "When the Enemy Strikes" by Charles Stanley. I think I would really like to read this book just after reading the editorial review on Amazon. Here is what it had to say:

At some point every Christian will experience a satanic attack-a willful, determined assault by the Devil to harm our spirit, soul, or body. God wants Christians to be under His control, but the Enemy will do his best to destroy everything good in our lives. So the question is not how to avoid satanic attacks, but how to overcome them.

Satan is a very powerful adversary. However, God does not leave us to defend ourselves, and He wants us to understand His supernatural and unlimited ability to help us. Dr. Stanley will show readers how to achieve victory by:

1. Identifying the enemy
2. Dressing in the full armor of God and standing firm
3. Releasing God's energy, divine power, and protection through prayer
4. Sensing the fore warnings of Satan's attacks on finances, family, relationships, or health

Spiritual warfare is fought every day on the battlefield of your mind. The Adversary knows that if he can direct your thinking, it's only a matter of time before you're vulnerable to the allure of sin. Dr. Stanley teaches that to stand against Satan's attacks, you must meditate upon biblical principles and arm yourself with the sword of the spirit-God's Word.

Sometimes Satan just makes me so mad. I hesitate to even post this because I don't want anyone thinking I'm one of those crazy people that thinks every shadow is a demon - I don't. That said, I do think that at times we minimalize the spiritual battle that is going on unseen around us. That is exactly what the enemy wants. If we don't take his game seriously, then he can sneak in an do even more damage.

I've seen the damage that Satan can cause in lives this week and it has me mad. I have several friends who are under serious attack and they are struggling. Personally this has been a hard fought two weeks for me. I don't think that there has been a couple of weeks where I felt so directly under attack as I have lately. I'd like to be able to tell you that I was responding the way that God would have me. I would like to tell you that I put on God's armor and stood firm against the devil. I didn't. I wallowed in it pretty good for a week. I won't go into details because my personal battle really isn't' the issue here.

After wallowing in it, I got mad. Mad at myself for not taking hold of the power that I have in Jesus to tell the devil to get the heck out. Mad at myself for giving into the same old temptations as I always do. Mad at the devil for so effectively deceiving my friends that they would also neglect to put on the full armor of God and fight back.

I don't have to live in defeat and neither do you. Satan has read the Book, he knows that he's going to lose. It's done. The power of sin in my life was finished when Jesus died on the cross and rose again. As a believer I don't have to be a slave to the devil and his schemes, I am free. SO ARE YOU.

Believe it.

Walk in it.

Tell Satan to take a hike.

They are growing FAST

Last year Morgan was able to wear the winter clothes she had from the previous year. Obviously she did some growing since then and we had to buy her a new size for this winter. Same with Drew, new wardrobe there too this winter.

I was hoping to at least get through this fall/winter with them in the same size but it appears they have both had a growth spurt and now their pants are a little short!!!! I'm all for being healthy and growing but buying 2 wardrobes in one season puts a little damper on the ole bank account!

So - if anyone has any 7slims and 5slims you want to pass along - I'm your girl!

Picketing Heath Ledgers funeral

According to Foxnews:

A radical Baptist church in Kansas known for picketing the funerals of
soldiers who perished in Iraq said it intends to protest Heath Ledger's memorial
service with signs claiming the actor died and is in Hell because he played a
gay character in “Brokeback Mountain.”

Stuff like this gets me upset. Gotta love how "effectively" this particular church is sharing the love of Christ (yes, add lots of sarcasm).

As a Christ-follower, I am appalled at this.

Yes, God does hate sin - ALL sin. No we shouldn't pretty it up and avoid the subject but do you really think that God wants us going to a memorial service shouting that someone is burning in hell because of their particular sin?

I wish I could find the link to a sermon that our pastor did on this very subject because I'd post it. Maybe I'll go back and find it.

Either way, stuff like this makes me mad because that is what a lost world will see about my Jesus. Maybe the person without any sin should be the first one to pick up one of the picket signs.

Yes, I changed it again.

If I could move my furniture around all the time, I'd do that too! Guess it's nice to have a blog design to change when I get a hankering. I'd really love to just have a blog design done for me but that will come later.

So, for the time being, welcome to a new look!

Memory Foam

Many of you mentioned a memory foam mattress pad topper to help with the back problems I've been having sleeping on our sleep number bed.

Well, we put one on last night and I will say that my back didn't hurt nearly as bad this morning. I didn't have a great night's sleep but I don't think that was from the bed as much as from the tv being left on and Owen coming into our room in the middle of the night.

Thanks for the suggestions - we'll see how it continues to go! I guess it's cheaper than buying a new bed.


OHHH - I asked my friend what the name of that bed was that she bought after staying in a hotel. It was the Heavenly Bed and it was the Westin hotel. LINK HERE: WESTIN HEAVENLY BED.

I'm a lucky girl

I am sure that Eric is going to read this, get embarrassed, and ask me to take it down. So - if you see it before that happens, then you are lucky (not quite as lucky as I am thought. ;) )

I have to tell you ladies, I have an amazing husband. Today was one of those days where I was hit with just how lucky I am.

Nothing crazy happened, I just got to thinking and realized that I have it good - God has blessed me with a wonderful husband and life partner.

What makes him so great? Here are just a few things:

1. He cares about us. A couple of weeks ago I talked to him about an area of our relationship that I'd really like us to work on. He has done so faithfully and I appreciate that. It shows that he values us and that's so important.

2. He is a wonderful father. He loves hanging out with the kids and comes up with some great things to do with them. A couple of things stick out to me right now like going to Wal-Mart before coming home and buying ice cream cones, cake mix, and icing to make ice-cream cone cupcakes with the kids or taking them swimming at the YMCA. He loves doing stuff like that.

3. He helps out around the house. He puts me to shame sometimes with all that he does. He does dishes (often), vacuums, picks up, etc. After talking with other women, I know this isn't always the case. I'm lucky that he really sees the chores around the house as an "us" job and not just a "wife" job.

4. He is understanding of my need for "Andie" time and is good to let me get it. I have to admit, I'm a selfish person, and I really do need a lot of "me" time to recharge and be a better wife & mother. I like to scrapbook, stamp, hang out with the ladies, etc. and he is very accommodating to that.

5. He can take care of three kids, including bath, meals, and bed without any problem or complaint. I know this isn't the case with all men and I'm thankful that he also views our parenting as a team thing!

6. Have you seen him? He's a good looking guy! :)

The list could go on and on. I'm sure I'm making him blush and I'll get talked to about talking TOO much on a public blog.

One last thing before I sign off. I was reminded the other day how God has a sense of humor some times. Back when I first became a Christian, I said this silly little prayer about my future husband and included a little request that, well, it was just kind of ridiculous. Included in my laundry list of things in an ideal husband was that my husband wear Nautica cologne. Don't ask me - I was in high school and apparently at the time it was important to me.

Guess what kind of cologne Eric wore when I met him and for years after that? Yep - you guessed it - Nautica! Drew just bought him some for Christmas and I just love the sent of it.

Read this while you can. :)

For you scrappers out there...

One of the ladies at our church's scrapbook night showed me an email she gets called Valerie's Sketches. I googled it and it turns out that Valerie has a blog. LOTS of good ideas here - check it out!

Thanks for the reference Jana!

CLICK TITLE FOR LINK!

Mish Mash

Another post where I just ramble on. I'm sorry. This is what happens when my mind is on several different things.

1. Morgan read her first book tonight. Granted, she needed some help but I would say that she read 70% of it all on her own. She read the Dr. Seuss book "Hop on Pop." A great book for a beginner. I can't believe my baby is learning to read!!!

2. When Drew started preschool 2 days a week in September his coloring was basically scribbling. Now he can write his name, color in the lines and actually choose colors for different things in a picture as opposed to coloring everything the same color. WOW - that's some progress.

3. Owen is talking a TON. It's crazy how quickly his vocabulary has taken off. My favorite saying of his right now, whenever he eats or drinks something he likes, "That feels me better". So cute!

4. I get why someone who doesn't really know you well would choose to talk to you about an area that they know you have in common when they see you but after 5 months of the same conversation each and every time I see this particular person, it's getting old. Oh well...

5. I still can't drink all the water that I'm supposed to.

6. Laundry never ends.

7. Why is it that I go to the grocery store for a moderate amount of items but then I realize that I'm out of diapers, pull-ups (yes, Drew still wears them at night, no comments please), wet wipes, Tide, and many other cleaners ALL AT THE SAME TIME? Do you know how expensive that stuff is?? Would have been nice to spread that stuff out a bit.

8. When is the writer's strike going to be over - I'm tired of reruns! Get on with it!

9. American Idol is great but I should have remembered that the auditions weren't exactly little kid appropriate. It started with the Pat Benetar wannabe and Morgan asking why there were American Idol logos on her mouth and hands and promptly ended when the guy came out in a cape, dropping it to reveal that he was Esau in a bra and underwear. Nice.

10. I still love Mexican food but I'm no longer craving it like I was before. That's a good thing I think.

11. I've lost about 5 lbs in the past 2 weeks. YAY me!

That's all folks!

Old Navy!

I saw that others have mentioned the HUGE sale going on at Old Navy but I thought I'd give a shout-out to it as well.

All their clearance is an add'l 50% off right now thru Wednesday. I seemed like most of the store was on sale, there was a TON of stuff.

I went shopping last night with Shea and, well, 3 huge shopping bags later, we left. SO many good deals. I will say that there was probably more deals for Morgan than for Drew & Owen but there were still LOTS of stuff for boys too. Stuff for men & women as well!

It wasn't just fall/winter stuff either, I got several shirts for spring/summer (although there is more winter stuff).

So - head on down. There are deals to be had!

Allergies? This early?

Maybe I'm crazy but I swear that there is some kind of allergen that has reared it's ugly head the last few days. It seems silly because it has been cold, off & on, but I have had an allergy headache for the last 3 days. I hate allergy/sinus headaches - the kind that makes your head hurt to breath through your nose. Last night I layed around with an ice pack on my head. This morning I had to take a benadryl allergy/sinus headache before I even left the house and I don't take those often because they make me sleepy!!

I'm glad that Zyrtec is going over-the-counter! I need to get some and start taking it. I hate allergies!!!

Anyone else having issues or am I just crazy (don't answer that if your answer is the latter! LOL!)

Ahhhh.... We have arrived...

Ever since having kids we have lacked in the sleep department, those of you with small children probably understand. I've looked on those that get to sleep in on Saturday morning and get a bit envious and wonder if we'll ever get there. Our kids aren't late sleepers and usually get up between 6:30-7:30 am on any given morning, including Saturday morning. Sometimes Eric & I switch off and one gets up while the other sleeps but that doesn't always work.

Well, this past Saturday the kids got up at their normal time and neither of us were ready to get up, so, we put a movie on in the game room and ALL THREE KIDS sat there and watched TV for a while so we could sleep. It was FANTASTIC. I know, we shouldn't let the TV be our babysitter but I'm sorry, I felt like being selfish this Saturday morning and sleeping so, well, the TV it was. It's not like we do it all the time!

I feel like we've "arrived". LOL! We can get a little extra sleep on a Saturday morning. WOOHOO!

"I want to stretch you."

Those of you that worked with me at The Voice of the Martyrs should know exactly who used to walk around telling people that he wanted to "stretch" us in our jobs. Often times I felt like a rubber band about to break because I had been stretched too thin, other times I felt challenged. I'm sure that we can all relate.

Right now I'm feeling like God is saying "I want to stretch you Andie", not because he wants me to break but because he wants to challenge me in ways that I didn't expect.

It's certainly proving to be the case. In the past few months I have found myself in situations that I would never have expected or imagined. So often I've sat here and though, "I can't handle this, why do you think I can handle this Lord?" And each time He has said, "You're right, YOU can't handle it, at least not alone." It's in these times that I feel so stretched and challenged that God is teaching me that I need to rely on Him completely. He's not going to lead me somewhere or have me do something and not equip me for the job.

The same is true for you.

Hodge Podge of stuff

I just can't seem to focus tonight. I have 3 loads of laundry to put away, a room that is a mess, an early morning to "look forward" to and I just can't focus. So, here you have what is rolling around in my brain.

#1: A big part of me is really worried about my friend. I tried calling the hospital tonight and she couldn't speak but her husband answered. He sounds awful and really couldn't say much for the grief/worry for his wife. I want my friend to get better! I want the Dr's. to figure out how to help her and I want to call and talk to my friend. I hate being this far away right now.

#2: Water... What does that have to do with anything you might ask??? Well, per the trainers at the YMCA, you are supposed to drink 1/2 your body weight in water each day. So - if I was 100 lbs, that would be 50 ounces of water each day. I got news for you - I'm not 100 lbs! I have to drink a whole lotta water. On a normal day I drink maybe two 8 oz glasses of any liquid. I just don't drink and I certainly don't care for water - give me "dirty water" any day as Suzanne calls ice tea. I know that my weight loss goals would be reached quicker if I would drink my water! Coming to an ocean near you...

#3: I don't get the argument over illegal immigration. I'm sure this will reveal just how ignorant I am on political issues but it seems pretty simple to me. It's called ILLEGAL immigration - why the controversy over whether we should give them rights in the U.S. Again - key word here is ILLEGAL. I get that we can't exactly kick 12 million people out of the country but really... Again - ILLEGAL.

#4: Cancer sucks. If there is one thing that I truly fear, it's this dreaded disease. It's an area of fear in my life that Satan has really used to the detriment in my walk with Jesus. Why, then, knowing how this affects me, do I read several blogs that are by moms with cancer?? Seriously - am I a glutton for punishment?

#5: Does Proactiv really work? You'd think I was going through puberty with the way my face looks. Ever since having kids... It's especially bad at "that time of the month" and I spend the rest of the month trying to clear it up. I've done the whole dermatologist thing and their prescription stuff didn't work. I just ordered the 30-day trial of Proactiv. Hey, it worked for Jessica Simpson.

#6: Wow, Britney Spears needs Jesus. So does her sister.

Now that you think I've lost my mind, I should end this list. I could go on and on. I told you I was feeling very unfocused and out-of-sorts tonight. I think it's a Tylenol PM night.

Please pray for my friend.

Presidential Politics

I'm not a big political talker but I have to tell you, we still have 10 months to go and I'm already tired of hearing it. Ughhh.....

Urgent Prayer Request

If you could spare a few prayers I'd appreciate it.

A very, very good friend of mine is in the hospital right now with a nasty form of pnemonia. It's serious and I'd appreciate any prayers you can send her way.

Thanks!

Chains of Courage

After 7 years working for The Voice of the Martyrs and keeping up with the ministry since leaving 2 years ago, I am always inspired, convicted, challenged and motivated when I read the newsletter and hear the stories of our brothers & sisters in faith around the world.

They know true persecution and blossom in their walks with Jesus under it.

There was one particular article in the January newsletter that jumped out at me and I wanted to share some of it here with you.

The title of the article by Tom White, Executive Director at VOM, was titled "Chains of Courage". Here are the highlights:

"Christians sometimes wonder if they have 'enough courage.' The word courage comes from the French word 'coeur,' meaning heart. World War 2 veterans often state they did not feel like heroes, but simply had a job they knew must be done. Courage surfaces through our daily obedience to Christ, regardless of circumstances. It takes obedience to teach squirming Sunday school children, just as it takes obedience to stand before a hostile judge with a machine gun in your back. Heroic courage, such as that found in Hebrews 11, is dependent only upon our love for our Savior. He is our courage. We have courage not because of who we are, but because of Whom we serve."

A quote from a Vietnamese pastor (smiling while he said it): "'We have learned that suffering is not the worst thing that can happen t us. Disobedience to God is the worst thing.'"

Makes you think, doesn't it?????

"It is important that we obediently continue to hold our light on the hill (Matthew 5:14). As we maintain our gracious Christian witness, we are links in God's several thousand-year chain of courage. "

"Although chained by Rome, the Apostle Paul referred to himself as 'a prisoner of the Lord.' He was securely captive to a greater empire than Rome could ever imagine."

"...when we obediently open our mouth for Jesus out in the world, we become His living Bible - part of God's chain reaction, passing on life and courage."

"His chain reaction - one obedient Christian multiplied by God equals many new believers. God's chain cannot be broken.

Whether in a Cuban house church, an Iranian prison or an American high school hallway, the courage to be a witness for Christ stems from obedience rooted in love, not from feelings. The Lamb of God on the way to be sacrificed was in pain, yet He obeyed the will of His Father and purchased our salvation. He tells us to obediently take up our cross, knowing we will also pass through painful moments.

The courage and faith that is obediently acted out by Christians in hostile Pakistan, Vietnam, China and more than 40 other countries around the world produces a chain reaction, which touches others and lifts all of us. Your life can do the same."

Left toTell

There is a reason that I don't read many books.

Seriously.

When I like a book, I can't put it down, I will sit there reading it until I am done, to the detriment of all thing & people around me. My house will be in shambles, my kids will be going crazy and still I'd sit there reading this book because I HAVE to know what happens next. Knowing this about myself, I don't pick up many books aside from the Bible. Maybe that sounds silly to you.

So, my friend, Becca, gave me this book at church yesterday called "Left to Tell". It's written by a young lady to lived through the Rwandan genocide and how God changed her during that time. I read it all last night, it was SO good.

I am ashamed to admit that I really had NO CLUE what had happened over in that country. During the time of the genocide, I was in college, ignorant of basically everything going on it the world and somehow completely missed that this was happening. I was shocked and heartbroken by what I was reading. I just don't get how people can do that to others, I really don't. And why no one from the outside came to help for so long....

It was a tragic story but also encouraging when you read how God moved in this woman's life. Powerful. Good read.

Comfortable beds? Do they exist?

I seriously do NOT like our bed. Several years ago, prior to Andrew being born, we bought a Sleep Number bed. My parents had one and loved it and the idea of being able to adjust the firmness made sense as a good thing.

Well, I hate it. I've been hating it for a long time but I'm now getting to the point where I loathe it, where I dread going to sleep because I know I will toss & turn and my back will HURT when I wake up.

I've adjusted it. I've put more air in, I've taken air out. The outcome is still the same. I get a crappy night's sleep and my back is KILLING me. It's what triggered my back problems around Thanksgiving and that STUNK.

If I could talk Eric into it, we'd chuck this mattress and get a new one. I hate it that much.

The problem is, how do you really find a good mattress? Seriously? It's not like you can go into a mattress store and stay overnight and just laying down on a mattress for 5 minutes in the store doesn't really tell you anything. They need to have a mattress hotel - you go stay overnight and sleep on the bed that you're thinking of buying to see how it really feels after sleeping on it all night. Wouldn't that be good???

There is actually one mattress that is used in hotels that they sell and so I guess you can go stay overnight in that hotel to try it out. Can't remember which one it is though.

Mexican... Mexican...

You'd think I was pregnant with the strength of my current craving - beef chimichanga w/all the fixings, chips, salsa & queso.

I can see it.

I can smell it.

I can taste it.

I WANT TO EAT IT NOW!!!

I went to my first Weight Watchers meeting today because, well, let's face it, I'm fat. I'm not beating myself up, I'm speaking the truth. I am now the same weight that I was WHEN I GAVE BIRTH TO OWEN!!!!

I was doing SO good at working out for a long time there - 5 days a week - faithful.

What happened you might ask?

Birthday #1
Sick kids
Out-of-town visitor
Birthday #2
Out-of-town visitor
Sick kids
Holiday
Out-of-town visitors
Went out-of-town
Sick kids
Holiday
Out-of-town visitors
Holiday

Reasonable excuses for not getting to the Y - sort of. Not a reasonable excuse to say the heck with it and each whatever I wanted to! I'm embarassed to admit how much I've gained since October!

Back to the Mexican food.

Now that I feel like I can't have it, it's ALL I WANT. I spent all day resisting the urge to call in take-out. I thought about it ALL day long. I'm thinking about it now.

I'm resisting....


FOR NOW.

Happy 2008!

Happy New Year!!!